5 Driving Tips For Families During This Summer’s Road Trips
Summer is finally here and many people will take family trips to the parks, hotels and the beach. Those summer road trips in the hot and steamy weather can be tough on your cars tires. What many people don’t know is that heat can affect the performance, inflation and the safety of their vehicles. Therefore, whether you are going out in the suburbs to see your family or approaching town to view that historic monument, it is particularly important to prepare your mind for the long hours in the hot weather and at the same time prepare your vehicle for the long journey on the hot roads. Going out on a summer’s road trip can be a lot of fun with your family, however, this is the time roads are busiest and it’s when some of the deadliest car accidents occur. In this brief article, we have shared some of the most important tips to ensure that your summer’s road trips remain safe for you and your family.
1. Maintain Your Vehicle’s Maintenance With New Car GPS Tracking Services
The first thing is to ensure that you are safe inside the car you are traveling in by having it inspected by a qualified mechanic a day before the trip. You can bet that the last thing you are ready for on the road trip is vehicle breakdown. You at least, need to check the oil filters and change the oil more often. Make sure that the brakes are in good condition and the car tires have enough threads before rushing out. Flush the coolant system and get a new wiper blades if it has been several years before their last replacement.
Check under the hood and ensure there are no leaks that can get worse and distract your fun. Also, check if the seat belt looks worn out or if they appears glazed or cracked. If all these are visible, replace before embarking on the road trip. Also, remember to park the car in a level spot and check the engine oil along your trip. You should always warm the engine up and stop it to check if the oil is in the best quality. To check for the oil, pull the engine oil dipstick out and wipe with a clean paper. Then deep it back and out later to check the level. Ensure the oil is either in the full level or just close by before you leave with your family.
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2. Maximize Your Fuel Economy
If you are like many summer vacationers and want to get the most out of this season, which means you expect to use the car. This means you are highly likely to be filling the tank and hitting the road. Although fuel prices are dropping from time to time, people are still paying so much on fuel costs. What this means is that you should adopt better ways to help you save significant amount of money on fuel costs during this summer’s vacation.
There are several Phone applications that predict whether gas prices are expected to rise tomorrow. Therefore, you can rely on them to decide whether to fill your tank today or just wait for tomorrow. If you need to top up your tank, the app can as well give you details of the nearest gas stations which offer promos or have the cheapest gas in the town. The other good thing is that you can use GPS tracking systems for route optimization. With route optimization, you can find the shortest shortcut to your destination. GPS Leaders is a GPS tracking service provider in California with great offers and high quality GPS tracking systems and devices that can help with route optimization. In addition, you have to pack smart. According to a research carried out by Fueleconomy.gov, minimizing what is packed on the trunk can save up to 2 percent of fuel.
3. Plan Your Route Wisely
Planning your route can be easy with the current technology. You can just open Google maps or just open a phone app to ensure that everything is planned before the real trip day. Take some time to mark your route and try finding the shortest route to the destination. Let a trusted family member know where you will be driving to and also know when you are planning to get there. Check road closures and weather to help you make informed decisions on the route you will use to your destination.
Before you jump into the car, you need to do a little planning and preparations. The first step here is selecting a route. However, before you do this, determine which is more important to you, the budget, destination or the distance. After you have decided what is important, you can then sit down and build the rest of the plans. Get an app that will give you up to date information on the tested road routes and that can update you on the road conditions. You should also predetermine your interests. Plan your own journey and explore variety of interest points that are found in the trail.
Now that it’s summer, you may want to find the best and the most economical campsites, road trippers and nightclubs for you and your friends. Some of these apps can help you by providing cost estimates for gas and accommodation requirements.
Route planning doesn’t only mean planning the road you will use, but also where you can get lunch, dinner and breakfasts while you are on the trip. Once you know where you’re going, plan where you can sleep with your family once the darkness fall. If your trip is all about outdoor activities and camping, ensure you have useful data on where you will camp and where you think your family is going to be safe.
4. Observe Seed Limits and Practice Defensive Driving
According to a research carried out in the United States, about 27 percent of all driver and passenger deaths occur in speed related crashes. At high-speeds, the driver cannot control their vehicle easily and the car will also not sustain a crash as easily. As the speed of the vehicle increases, safety belts and airbags don’t work as well to provide safety to the passengers in a high speed crash. The reality of the matter is that when your car is moving at a high speed, before you realize that you need to react for a normal emergency, you will already have traveled into the danger zone. You will also be forced to brake harder which poses the danger of overturning and causing deaths and injuries.
Ensure that the family is safe by simply driving in a minimum speed. If possible, do not exceed 65mph. Over speeding is not only about driving faster that the speed limits, but also driving too fast for the road condition. It is general knowledge that over speeding is illegal in all the countries in the world. Therefore, to ensure that you stay on the legal track, keep the speed of your car managed.
5. Consider Roadside Assistance
Roadside emergencies are common and some of them are a stressful experience. Whether you found yourself in the middle of the road or on the sideways without anyone to help you. Having an expert roadside assistance service works a long way to ensure your family, you and the vehicle reach its destination. There are several emergencies that can catch you off-guard on the road which can affect your trip experience.
What if you locked keys inside the car or blew out your front car tire and you are at the middle of no where with no one to assist you? What if the battery is died and your car cannot jump-start? What if your car ran out of fuel without your knowledge and there’s no close gas station? Running to the gas station with a Jerry can, carrying the tire to the town for repair or just seeking assistance from the passersby can be overwhelming. This is why we recommend drivers have a roadside assistance service provider who can always be available to help you in case of an emergency. You can insure yourself against breaking down and find peace of mind in case an emergency occurred.
While you are out there with your children, ensure you hold their hands while they walk past busy driveways, parking lots and on the sidewalks. Ensure that your family is safe during this summer’s vacation. Teach them to apply seat belts and observe traffic lights while they are crossing the roads crossing marks.
Your car should also be safe. This is the time when there are increased cases of theft and damage. To prevent this, ensure your car has a reliable GPS tracking system to notify you in case of a trespasser or help you track it down in case of theft. For quality GPS tracking systems, devices and offers, visit www.gpsleaders.com your Leading GPS Tracking Supplier in California.